Cultural Factors Influencing Young Adult Indian Women's Beliefs about Disclosing Domestic Violence Victimization

Abstract

AbstractAccording to India's National Family Health Survey (Ghosh, 2007), over one third of women in India have experienced domestic violence (DV). In this study, we examined young adult Indian women's attitudes toward domestic violence DV help seeking behaviors using a reproductive justice framework. A total of 81 young adult women age 18–24 from Mysore, India, participated via in‐depth qualitative focus groups. Findings suggested that informal familial systems and gender‐focused formal support systems were viewed as the most acceptable networks for disclosing DV victimization. Women's organizations emerged as the second most appropriate network, particularly when it was deemed that an escalated response to DV victimization was needed. If the DV was perceived as severe or escalating, seeking judicial support was deemed appropriate. However, there were several cultural barriers that informed the women's perceptions of these systems effectiveness, including cultural beliefs about privacy, gender roles, and prior experiences. These results highlight the importance of addressing the multilevel cultural processes that serve to both facilitate and limit young adult Indian women's ability to address DV victimization. In contrast to the popular perception of abused women as passive victims, these women's assertions valuing empowerment highlight culturally specific responses to effectively addressing DV.